Vulcanizer for sweating and resweating tobacco.



J. K. PROBST. VULCANIZER FOR SWEATING AND RESWEATING TOBACCO.

. 7 APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1915- 1,168,030.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

OOOOQOOO JAMES R. rnoissr, or LOCK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES K. PROBST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lock Haven, in'the county of'Clinton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vul-,

canizers for Sweating and Resweating Tobacco, of which the following is a specificar sloping bottom 1, and .a sloping back 2, a top 3, vside walls 4 and a hinged door 5,

tion.

As is well known in the tobacco growing industry, the usual practice for many years has been, to cut the-tobacco plants, to carry the same to a barn'and hang them up and allow them to dry or cure, and as soon as this has been accomplished, to remove the leaves from the stock, during damp or wet weather, or at a time'whenthere issufiicient moisture in the air, to prevent breaking and injury of .the delicate leaves. The leaves have then been placed into boxes or cases, and allowed to sweat, during which process a certain amount of moisture is necessary in the tobacco, and unless suflicient moisture is present, the result will not be satisfactory. Since it is notalways possible to do the work at a time when just the right amount of moisture is present in the air, various other methods have been proposed, for example by sprinkling the tobacco leaves, or by dipping these into suitable liquids, before the sweating, but these procesesses have not given entirely satisfactory results, since the sprinkling or dipping of the leaves is liable to produce a product which is either too wet or not wet enough, and the sprinkling also has been found to produce spots on" the tobacco leaves.

In accordance with my present invention, I find that it is not necessary either to sprinkle the leaves, or to dip the same into a liquid, but as soon as the tobacco leaves have been placed in the cases, in which they are packed rather tightly, these cases may be put into a vulcanizer o treating apparatus, in which they are subjected to the action of hereinafter defined vapors and gases, capable of producing the desired degree of dampness of the leaves, after which the after fermentation takes places within a very shortspaceof time so that the tobacco may be ready for shipment within'a few 'days after the treatment.

VULCAN'IZER FOR SWEATING AND RFSWEATING TOBACCO.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 3,1 11, 1916, Application filed August 25 1915.- Seria11\To. 47,384. I v I the apparatus; Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical section at r1ght angles to the plane of Fig. 1.,

on the line 2-2, looking in'the-direction of the arrows, and Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical section at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1, on the line 33, looking'in the direction of the arrows.

This. apparatus consists essentially of a provided between the inner and outer com' partments; Thispassage also is provided with a cover ll, mounted at 12, by means of which the opening. 10 may be closed or opened at will, by means of the handle 13.

At 14 are illustrated any suitable heaters, I

for heating the salt water contained in the: compartment 6, as hereinafter described. The entire casing is supported upon a suitable foundation 15, which forms a fire box.

In the receptacle 6 is placed a quantity i of salt water, a solution of about 3'01 4% strength being ordinarily employed. This solution is heated to a temperature of preferably from F., to 120 F., although a higher temperature, particularly during the first part of the process may be advanta-' geous, since at a higher temperature, the mass of tobacco will become heated more rapidly.

At any suitable place within the inner compartment is a receptacle or pan 16 which, before starting the heat, and at the time of wheelin in the case of tobacco 17, is first filled with a suitable liquid. The character of this liquid will vary more or less depending upon the flavor which is desired in the tobacco. For many purposes I find that a mixture of 3 quarts of cider vinegar to 1 quart ofammonia gives excellent results. To this mixture may be added if desired 1 quart of rum. Instead of the above mixture, rum-alone may be employed, whlch ios will give a characteristic flavor, and aroma the salt water in the compartment 6 by means of the burners 14:, or in any other convenient way, the vapors given off from the salt water being allowed to enter the inner compartment'of the vulcanizer through the opening 10. These vapors coming into contact with the material in the receptacle 16, produce a treating vapor or mist which will be absorbed by the tobacco, until a sufficient amount has been absorbed. It is desirable to watch the generation of'the vapors, and the absorption of the same by the tobacco in the case 1?, although for ordinary purposes this is not necessary, since the tobacco will not take up too much of the treating vapor owing to the fact that the tobacco, as soon as it has absorbed a sufficient amount of thetreating vapor commences to sweat, and this sweating process prevents the absorption of any excess of the treating vapor.

-With ordinary sized cases of tobacco (about 290 to 400 lbs. depending on the character of the tobacco) I find that for the absorption of the treating vapor, from 4 to 15 hours is a sufficient length of time, if the temperature in the compartment 6 be maintained at about 120 F., although longer time may be employed, without in any manner injuring the tobacco. After the absorption is complete, the temperature in the com partment 6, if the same be above about 120 F, is lowered to about that point, or below, and the sweating process then allowed to continue for a period of from 3 to 30 days, depending upon the character of the tobacco, and the contemplated use of the same. The tobacco is then ready for the manufacture of various articles, such as cigars, chewing and smoking tobacco, snuff, etc.

The mixture of cider vinegar and ammonia with or without rum, or the rum alone has a particular action upon the gum contained in the tobacco leaves. It is well known that tobacco leaves contain a small amount of a gum, which is somewhat resist-' ant to moisture, and which in the ordinary process of treating tobacco is removed during the bulking down operation, by a species of fermentation, which requires a considerable length of time In my process the vapors of the liquid above referred to, inconnection with the vapor produced by heating the salt water have the effect of rapidly cutting this gum in every short time, which allows the absorption of the treating vapor, or mist, by the tobacco. v

The jacket of the vulcanizer is provided with a filling spout 18, an automatic exhaust valve 19, and a draw off cock 20 for the liquid. The inner compartment is provided -with a thermometer 22 and an automatic exhaust-valve 23, the operation of which will be entirely obvious.

The process of treating tobacco as clescribed herein, is not claimed in this application, since said process forms the subject matter of my copending application 61,936 filed November 17, 1915.

What I claim is:-

A vulcanizer suitable for treating tobacco which comprises an inner receptacle having an inclined bottom, and having side, top,

and back walls, and having a removable JAMES K. PROBST.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the wommissionerof Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

